The issue of disappearing messages is not new on social media. In 2012, the feature got introduced on Snapchat, and Facebook later rolled it out.
But it still seems many users are not used to it, and when they find their messages are missing, they wonder what happens.
If you have experienced Messenger messages disappearing without your involvement, this guide will explain everything you need to know regarding the issue.
Various things can make your Messenger messages disappear. If you take more than fourteen days without reading a message sent by someone, Messenger will take that you don’t want to read it, making it disappear after fourteen days. Additionally, if you agree to enter vanish mode with a person, your messages disappear after you leave a chat.
The post has explained the various reasons that may make your messages on Messenger disappear, how to find messages that have disappeared on Messenger, and how you can enable vanish mode. If you find the topic interesting, please continue reading for more details!
Why Did My Messenger Messages Disappear?
Many Messenger users have complained about messages disappearing without their involvement.
The issue can be disturbing and may make you think someone hacked into your messages and decided to mess with them.
However, this guide has done some research, and here are the possible reasons why your Messenger messages are disappearing:
Reason #1: Fourteen Days Have Passed Without Reading the Messages
Facebook Messenger may make your messages disappear when you take more than fourteen days to open a chat when you receive it.
In such a case, Messenger concludes that you have ignored the messages because you don’t want to read them, making them disappear.
The good news with these messages is that you can request Messenger to access them, as we will see in the following section.
Reason #2: Vanish Mode Is Enabled
Vanish mode is one of the features that Facebook introduces to enable sharing of sensitive information.
When you enter into Vanish mode with a person, it means the moment you leave that chat, all the messages you received while in the mode will disappear.
When you use “vanish mode,” you are not supposed to screenshot the chats. Messenger will inform the other party if any of the parties takes a screenshot.
Reason #3: A Bug
The last possible reason your Messenger messages are missing is a bug. Bugs happen sometimes, and when they happen, they affect you in any way.
One of the effects of bugs is making some of your messages disappear by themselves and reappear again.
If you know you are not in Vanish mode and had read the message before fourteen days ended, it means your messages disappeared because of a bug, and hopefully, they may be restored after some time.
How To Enable Disappearing Messages on Messenger
If you want to send sensitive messages to a person on Messenger, enabling the Vanish mode is the best way of taking precautions to ensure the messages are not shared with other parties.
You can enable disappearing messages as indicated below:
- Launch the Messenger application.
- Go to the chat you wish to enable the vanish mode.
- Please tap on the info icon labeled “i” beside the video icon on the top.
- Scroll to the “More actions” section and click “Go to secret conversation.”
You can only enable the vanish mode/secret conversation for a single chat. If you want all messages you send to people to disappear as soon as they leave the chat, you can perform the above steps for every chat.
How To Find Missing Messenger Messages
If your messages disappeared before you opened them, don’t worry; you can still access them when navigating the settings.
However, you must note that the only messages you can access are those that disappeared before you opened them. If a message disappeared because you were in vanish mode, it is impossible to recover them.
- Open your Messenger app and tap the hamburger menu icon in the top left corner.
- Tap on the “Message requests” option.
- Click on a conversation you wish to read and accept to read.
Conclusion
Messenger has made conversations easy, but you may be worried when you realize your messages have disappeared into thin air.
This post has explained the various reasons that may make your Messenger messages disappear and how you can access some of those messages.
If you are eager to learn more details about Messenger messages disappearing, read this guide!
FAQs
Facebook Messenger messages may disappear because you are using vanish mode. Vanish mode is a feature that makes your messages disappear after you leave a given chat. Moreover, if you receive messages that take more than fourteen days to read, Messenger may assume you don’t want to read them and make them disappear.
When a person takes a screenshot in vanish mode, the other party is informed of the action, and if you find it offensive, you can report the issue to Facebook.
